Armistead Lemon '95 Named Head of School
On behalf of the Board of Trustees, it is my great pleasure to announce that Elizabeth Armistead Lemon '95 has been appointed the Head of School, effective July 1, 2022. Armistead is the ninth Head of School at North Cross, and notably the first woman and our first alumna to serve in the position. The Board's unanimous decision to select Armistead followed the enthusiastic and unanimous recommendation of the Search Committee.
Our next Head of School comes to us from Harpeth Hall in Nashville, where she has been the Director of the Upper School since 2017. Prior to serving as Upper School Director, Armistead was the English Department Chair and an esteemed teacher, winning the prestigious Heath Jones Prize for Teaching in 2010. Armistead graduated from North Cross in 1995. She then earned her B.A. in English Literature from Washington & Lee University and her M.A. in English Literature from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Armistead succeeds Chris Proctor, who skillfully led the North Cross community for 11 years. Chris, the senior staff team, and all faculty will work closely with Armistead in the months ahead to ensure a seamless transition of leadership.
We are also pleased to welcome Armistead's family - husband, Calvin Stewart, and sons Henry (7) and James (5). We look forward to this vibrant family settling in on our campus and making it home.
Armistead was selected from a deep and diverse pool of candidates following a comprehensive national search led by the highly regarded independent schools consultant firm, The Education Group. The Search Committee, composed of trustees, past and current parents, and alumni, deserves our deepest thanks for working so diligently to help us successfully complete the selection of the next Head of School. We are grateful for their tireless effort as well as the support of the entire North Cross community throughout this process.
Please join me in welcoming Armistead, Calvin, Henry, and James home to North Cross and to Roanoke. We are simply delighted that they are joining our North Cross family.
With gratitude,
Sarah Boxley Beck ’98
Search Committee Chair
Chair, Board of Trustees
A Letter from Incoming Head of School Armistead Lemon '95
Dear North Cross Community,
I am delighted and deeply honored to serve as your next Head of School. North Cross is a place I hold dear for the outstanding opportunities it provided me as a student and an alumna; it shaped me in the very best ways and launched me on my leadership path. My gratitude for the faculty, coaches, administrators, families, and trustees who understand how special North Cross is and have supported its mission across decades and generations knows no bounds. It is with humility and a sense of purpose that I accept the tremendous responsibility to carry the mission forward.
Over the last decade, I have watched with great admiration as Dr. Proctor has led North Cross. Visiting campus allowed me the opportunity to marvel firsthand at the strategic enhancements to campus, to witness CrossWalk in action, and to learn more about the expanded global programming. North Cross's future is so bright. It's also clear that at its core, North Cross remains unchanged in the best ways. It is a place for students that instills a sense of honor; develops leaders in the academics, the arts, and athletics; nurtures a sense of wonder; and expands horizons. Strong faculty-student relationships remain at the heart of it all.
Thank you for warmly welcoming me and my husband, Calvin Stewart, to campus during our visit. Your insightful questions and comments provided a window into a wonderful community, and our family is humbled and honored to be joining you. Thank you to Sarah Boxley Beck and the Search Committee for your care, thoughtfulness, and generosity throughout the entire search process. It has been a joy getting to know you and witnessing your sincere dedication to the school.
North Cross's mission is as relevant today as ever. I look forward to returning to Roanoke and joining all of you in the important work of supporting our students on their journeys. May they become leaders in local and global communities, persons of intellectual and moral courage, and scholars in the service of others.
Warmest regards,
Armistead Lemon
I am delighted and deeply honored to serve as your next Head of School. North Cross is a place I hold dear for the outstanding opportunities it provided me as a student and an alumna; it shaped me in the very best ways and launched me on my leadership path. My gratitude for the faculty, coaches, administrators, families, and trustees who understand how special North Cross is and have supported its mission across decades and generations knows no bounds. It is with humility and a sense of purpose that I accept the tremendous responsibility to carry the mission forward.
Over the last decade, I have watched with great admiration as Dr. Proctor has led North Cross. Visiting campus allowed me the opportunity to marvel firsthand at the strategic enhancements to campus, to witness CrossWalk in action, and to learn more about the expanded global programming. North Cross's future is so bright. It's also clear that at its core, North Cross remains unchanged in the best ways. It is a place for students that instills a sense of honor; develops leaders in the academics, the arts, and athletics; nurtures a sense of wonder; and expands horizons. Strong faculty-student relationships remain at the heart of it all.
Thank you for warmly welcoming me and my husband, Calvin Stewart, to campus during our visit. Your insightful questions and comments provided a window into a wonderful community, and our family is humbled and honored to be joining you. Thank you to Sarah Boxley Beck and the Search Committee for your care, thoughtfulness, and generosity throughout the entire search process. It has been a joy getting to know you and witnessing your sincere dedication to the school.
North Cross's mission is as relevant today as ever. I look forward to returning to Roanoke and joining all of you in the important work of supporting our students on their journeys. May they become leaders in local and global communities, persons of intellectual and moral courage, and scholars in the service of others.
Warmest regards,
Armistead Lemon
What Faculty, Staff, and Families Had to Say
"I LOVED her commitment to mission, relationships, and hearing student voices. She seems to have a great feel for the heart of the school while also having ideas to move us forward and plan strategically for the future."
"She was very authentic. She seemed to have a deep understanding of the core values. She had a strong focus on the individual student and their specific needs."
"She clearly has a deep love and respect of both education and particularly of NCS as her alma mater...Her call to research-driven ideas and actively learning more about varying approaches is also refreshing. I believe she is poised to bring fresh ideas and a renewed sense of forward motion to our community."
"Focused on education, collaboration, and community building. Her answers to questions indicated a consistent focus on intellectual engagement across as many parts of the school community...as possible."
"Ms. Lemon's experience at North Cross as an alumna would clearly be a significant asset...This made me hopeful that, if she were to be the next Head of School, she would be able to continue developing what North Cross is doing well while drawing on her past experience to enhance aspects of the school that might not be as strong now as when she was a student here."
"The idea of preserving 'The Soul" of the school"
"Positive attitude and energy. She was excited to be at the school. I liked Armistead's business sense, she had thoroughly read the school financials and had probing questions for the financial committee. I liked that she believed in investing in faculty and their development."
"This candidate has the experience, drive, empathy, intelligence, and open-mindedness to take North Cross to an even higher level as a modern and cutting edge educational institution."
"Best of the best."
Sarah Boxley Beck ’98
Fourd Kemper
John Lugar
Janet Frantz
George Vogel III ’93
Fourd Kemper
John Lugar
Janet Frantz
George Vogel III ’93
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DOWNLOAD THE POSITION PROFILE (11.4 MB)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have a question that is not answered here? Feel free to email Search Committee Chair Sarah Boxley Beck at sarahboxley@gmail.com .
How can I be involved in the search?
The Search Committee is committed to a thorough, transparent, and inclusive process for the faculty, staff, and entire North Cross community. There will be multiple opportunities for all constituents to provide input to help identify the qualities we want in our next Head of School. Katherine, Dave and Neil, our search consultants, are already having conversations with various groups to learn more about North Cross. The survey, open through March 19, is an early step to offer commentary about NCS.
In addition to the survey and initial conversations with our consultants, others will be actively engaged throughout the search. When finalists are identified in the late summer/early Fall, members of the school community will be invited to meet the candidates and provide feedback with their impressions of each finalist.
In addition to the survey and initial conversations with our consultants, others will be actively engaged throughout the search. When finalists are identified in the late summer/early Fall, members of the school community will be invited to meet the candidates and provide feedback with their impressions of each finalist.
What is the role of the search firm? How were they chosen?
After interviewing several nationally recognized educational search firms, our committee has selected Nashville-based The Education Group (TEG). We were impressed by TEG’s knowledge of North Cross and our region, their experience in recent head of school searches and their commitment to the success of independent school leaders. Our consultants, Dave, Katherine and Neil will guide the Search Committee through the search process, focusing on the specific needs of our community and offering guidance based on best practices. TEG will also help to develop a position profile, recruit and assess candidates, and assist the Search Committee throughout the process and into the next Head’s first year of leadership.
What is the role of the Search Committee?
The Search Committee, along with our consultants at The Education Group (“TEG”), is tasked with directing the new Head of School search process from start to finish and through the leadership transition. The Search Committee will coordinate input from NCS’s various constituencies, work with TEG to develop the detailed job/position profile description, and review the first round of candidates. The committee will then organize and conduct interviews with the semifinal and final candidates. At the end of the process, the Search Committee will present a qualified candidate to be confirmed by NCS’s Board of Trustees. Another major function of the Search Committee is to keep our community informed and engaged throughout the process, while also balancing the importance of confidentiality.
Will the Head of School search impact my child’s experience at North Cross?
No. North Cross and our faculty, teachers, and administrators are committed to our primary goal, which is to provide your child with a rigorous academic curriculum, competitive with the best college-preparatory schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
What if I have concerns that I want to share?
We are happy to talk with you about questions that you might have. Feel free to contact Sarah Boxley Beck, chair of the Search Committee at sarahboxley@gmail.com.
What if I have a suggestion for a Potential candidate?
The search consultants at The Education Group welcome such suggestions. Please email them at: katherine@educationgroup.com, dave@educationgroup.com and/or neil@educationgroup.com.
Search Committee
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Sarah Boxley Beck ’98, Chair
Sarah Boxley serves as Board Vice Chair as well as chair of the Institutional Advancement and Development committee. Sarah Boxley earned her BA in Economics from Wake Forest University and worked in marketing for a mutual fund company and then in pharmaceutical sales before moving back to Roanoke in 2011. She is the recipient of the Alumni Service Award (2015) and served on the Alumni Board for many years, most recently as President in 2014-15, while also/still serving on the Board of Trustees. Sarah Boxley and her husband Carl have two children, daughter Anna Belle ’34 and son William ’29. Talfourd ‘Fourd‘ H. Kemper, Jr. Fourd has served as Chair of the Board of Trustees for the past 2 years. Fourd is of Counsel with Woods Rogers PLC with a focus on mergers and acquisitions, venture capital financing, securities, licensing and other intellectual property matters, and the representation of high-tech entrepreneurs. He received a bachelor’s degree in economics from Duke University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he served on the Editorial Board of the Virginia Law Review. Fourd and his wife Kelly have three current students at North Cross and two Class of 2019 graduates. Janet Dunn Frantz Janet serves as chair of the Trustees Committee. Janet has a BA in Economics from Wake Forest University and enjoyed a career in commercial banking and private banking with Bank of America and predecessor institutions. She is a very active community volunteer, having served on the national board of directors for Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and has also served many local organizations in the Roanoke Valley. Janet currently serves on the board of Carilion Medical Center. She is a past president of the North Cross Parents Association. She and her husband, Jim ‘75, have two grown children, Spencer ‘08 and Mary ‘11. |
John D. Lugar
John is the president and founder of Virginia Varsity Transfer, Inc., a regional moving company serving the Eastern and Central United States and Virginia Varsity Storage, Inc., a local self storage company operating 5 locations. John founded the transfer company in 1988, storage in 1999, and serves as president of both companies. John has served on the boards of: The Roanoke Jaycees, The Better Business Bureau of Western Virginia, The Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce, The Roanoke Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau, Health Focus of Southwestern Virginia, Salem Presbyterian Church, Session, The Backbone Club (Past President), Mill Mountain Theatre, Roanoke Valley Association of Realtors Economic Development Committee (Current Chair), American National Bank, Roanoke Advisory Board, Virginia Self Storage Association Board, and Virginia Movers & Warehousemen’s Association (Past President). Mr. Lugar also co-founded Valley Forward, a young professionals advocacy group that launched an ongoing, annual greenway fundraiser, Gallop 4 the Greenways. He received Radford University’s Young Alum Award in 2001, and Virginia Varsity Transfer, Inc. won the inaugural “Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics” and was a national finalist in 2001. Mr. Lugar lives in Roanoke City with his wife and two children, Henry ‘25 and George ’28. George I. Vogel, III ‘93 George is a member at the Vogel and Cromwell Law Offices firm and is admitted to practice in Virginia. His areas of practice include real estate, civil litigation, estate planning, and corporate law. He graduated from Washington & Lee University with a B.S. before receiving his Juris Doctorate from William & Mary Law School. He is a current member of the Roanoke Bar Association, the Virginia Bar Association, and the American Inn of Courts, and he is a past member of the Franklin County Bar Association, the Smith Mountain Lake Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors (past president), the North Cross Alumni Association (past president), and the Roanoke Country Club Board of Governors (past president). He has two current students at North Cross: Tanner ‘22 and Eliza ‘26. |